There is a method to block read/write access to sectors of a Hard Disk Drive HDD known as Host Protected Area HPA. It is defined by Technical Committee T13 industry standards group, which is part of the International Committee on Information Technology Standards INCITS responsible for interface standards relating to the AT Attachment ATA storage interface. The disadvantage of HPA is that the mechanism allows only for a single set of sectors or a single region of a HDD to be protected. In addition, HPA is cumbersome in that it is difficult to dynamically lock and unlock read/write access to the protected region.
WO 2007/078648 A improves HPA by allowing for multiple sets of sectors or multiple regions of a HDD to be protected, and by simplifying dynamic locking and unlocking read/write access to protected regions. The disadvantage of this solution is that the mechanism allows for protected reference to the data only based on the location of the data on an exceptionally partitioned HDD, regardless of the type and value of these data. Therefore, it is not possible to allow access to only parts of a file, e.g. to records or even fields in records of a database; either the whole file is accessible or not. In addition, this solution is cumbersome in that it does not specify how to authenticate the user authorised to use the protected regions.
EP 1669833 A specifies a mechanism to validate a trusted computer system by identifying components detected within said system, and to protect the transaction or the service delivered by that system. The disadvantage of this solution is that this mechanism allows only for the authentication of a user wishing to perform a transaction or to use a service, regardless the type, the value, and the location of the data to be processed by this transaction or that service.